


No One Wants A Loner

by RedXD



Category: The Vampire Diaries & Related Fandoms, The Vampire Diaries (TV)
Genre: Angst, Developing Friendships, Friendship, M/M, Making Up, Men Crying, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Oneshot, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Slash, Underage Drinking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-15
Updated: 2020-09-15
Packaged: 2021-03-06 20:27:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,590
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26474902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedXD/pseuds/RedXD
Summary: *Takes place in season 1*Jeremy has no friends. Tyler was right.
Relationships: Jeremy Gilbert/Tyler Lockwood
Kudos: 19





	No One Wants A Loner

**Author's Note:**

> this may feel a bit OOC simply because I've never written these two before but alas here we are
> 
> this is entirely self indulgent jyler because i love them

Jeremy can’t remember having proper friends.

Friends that don’t want him for drugs, friends that aren’t there because he’s ‘Elena’s little brother,’ but actual _friends._

He hates to think that: Tyler is right. Tyler is always reminding him he has no friends. Everyone calls him a loner.

His parents are dead, everyone loves his sister, and his only even somewhat friendship is with his history teacher. 

It all hurts.

Caroline inadvertently told him the other day that his role is to be ‘Elena’s loner little brother.’ That same night, Tyler said multiple things that Jeremy hates are true. And of course, that wonderful day ended with his newly learned vampire ‘almost girlfriend’ leaving town.

This to say: Jeremy feels like shit.

He keeps staring at his sketchbook and all he can feel is disgust for his own creations. If vampires are real, then maybe so are the demons on each page of his sketchbook.

The worst part isn’t even the demons or vampires… he still feels Tyler’s voice in his head.

 _‘Do you even_ have _any friends?’_

No. He doesn’t.

The Mystic Grill is next to empty tonight. Probably due to it being a Monday and he remembers there being mentions of a party at someone’s house. 

He doesn’t have the desire to look and actually _see_ who’s at the grill since it’s likely it’ll just be people he doesn’t know. Another lovely reminder that he’s friendless. 

Maybe Vicki really _did_ leave for good reasons.

Jeremy stares at the blank sketchbook page, fiddling his pen around in his hand. He doesn’t have motivation boiling and overfilling past the edges of his mind like he did when he first started reading Jonathan Gilbert’s journal anymore. Now his motivation is frozen solid in the sad wasteland his mind keeps returning to. 

With a heavy sigh, he pushes his sketchbook to the side, the wooden table scratching against the heavy book. He folds his arms and lies his head on top of them, moving his face to the side. 

His eyes trace over the empty tables until they land on one of the few patrons of tonight…

Maybe he’s hallucinating.

There’s no actual reasonable explanation for Tyler Lockwood being at the Mystic Grill instead of some party. That’s just not how he works these days. He has friends in every circle except maybe the crackheads. So it’s no doubt that the guy got invited.

He lets his hair fall over his eyes, staring between strands at Tyler sipping a drink on a bar stool. Jeremy won’t lie to himself, he’s always had complicated feelings when it comes to Tyler. He used to have a crush on him as a kid. He was the friend of Elena’s best friend. But he was the first person to not specifically choose Elena over him. 

Sure, Tyler doesn’t seem to prefer either of the Gilberts, but Jeremy will take that over yet another person loving Elena and patronizing him by pretending to give a shit about him as his own individual. 

Maybe he’s just not worth as much as Elena. She’s older, prettier, nicer… She’s never done drugs. She’s a perfect student. She’s friendlier. 

Jeremy just can’t compare. 

He sighs again and shoves his head into his folded arms, welcoming the darkness. He feels like shit. 

He hasn’t felt so shitty in a while. It’s not as bad as the months after his parents died. That was worse by far. But then again… When his parents died…

That’s when he truly became friendless. 

Before, his Dad was his friend. And now he’s dead. 

Wonderful, now Jeremy feels even worse. Worse as in: water building up in his chest, his ribs and heart are the dam, being put under pressure as the water tries to escape. And he knows if it does escape it’ll be through his eyes. 

Laying there, he lets himself silently cry onto his sleeves as he keeps his head against his arms and the table beneath them. Minutes pass, but he isn’t sure quite how many. 

Suddenly he feels a presence near him and he hears a chair squeak against the floor, whining as it’s dragged out for someone to sit.

Jeremy isn’t sure if he wants to look and see, because he knows his face is likely to give him away. He’s not a fan of people he doesn’t know well enough seeing him cry. So he doesn’t look up. He doesn’t check who it is at all, he simply continues to rest his head, but his crying fades to nothing as the presence remains longer and longer.

Even if he doesn’t know who it is, it feels nice to know he isn’t alone.

After roughly ten minutes, he hears an extremely recognizable voice mutter,

“I didn’t want to be alone.”

The second that Jeremy processes that Tyler is the one keeping him company, he moves his head, staring at Tyler. 

The other sips his drink, staring at anything _but_ Jeremy. He has bags under his eyes that pull down, weighing his eyes towards the ground. Purple tones are washed over his face. 

“Me too.”

That spurs Tyler to glance at him. His eyes are a bit brighter the second they meet Jeremy’s. The two are silent, merely enjoying the physical presence of the other. 

Jeremy grabs his pen and pushes his sketchbook back into his sight. He rests his head in his palm, using his free hand to finish the vampire sketch he started. His lips curl into a frown when he realizes he doesn’t really want to draw this anymore. 

Peeking at Tyler, he flips the page and sketches Tyler’s dark eyes and hair, sharp jawline… He grins a small little smirk, eyes darting from Tyler to his sketchbook. He uses his arms to block the drawing from the shorter male’s sight. 

_This is the first time we’ve been able to actually ‘hang out’ without one of us throwing a punch or insult. Maybe we’re both too tired for that tonight._

He finishes and it’s not as bad as he expected. He’s almost proud of it. Sure, he mainly draws monsters… but a Lockwood isn’t a bad change. 

Speaking of, Jeremy turns back to Tyler, his curiosity taking the best of him. 

“You know, Lockwood, I would’ve expected you to be at that party across town.”

Tyler freezes mid-sip and he huffs, “I would’ve expected you to be at home or high,” The words sting a bit, but Jeremy simply turns his head. 

His voice is quiet, “I told you I don’t do that anymore. And Elena has Stefan over… I’m too exhausted and… to deal with them.” He drops his pen beside his sketchbook, “Did the party not have enough booze?”

The other snaps a bit, “I don’t just drink and party!” A moment later he takes a deep breath, “Sorry, just… I didn’t feel up to going.”

Jeremy nods, “It’s fine, sorry I didn’t mean it like that… just teasing I guess.”

Silence returns. This prompts Tyler to glance over at Jeremy’s partially covered sketchbook. He motions to it with his glass, nearly empty of liquid with only a sip or two more remaining. 

“What are you drawing?”

_Oh right-_

He coughs awkwardly, “Just mess, I’m not really motivated right now.”

“Are we both seriously wallowing?”

“Probably.”

More silence.

They both don’t meet each other’s eyes. 

Tyler clears his throat, “Listen Gilbert- I’m sorry about the other night.”

_Does he mean-_

Jeremy’s eyes dart over to the other, “You mean the party?”

The dark-haired male nods, “I uh, It wasn’t cool of me to act like that.” The words come out as a quiet, broken whisper. As if Tyler feels weird saying it.

Shrugging, he hums, “It’s fine, not like any of it wasn’t true.”

Silence… and then:

“But it wasn’t.”

The taller male raises a disbelieving eyebrow, “I mean- I _don’t_ have any friends. I _am_ alone. I don’t see what part you were necessarily wrong on.” He mutters it, feeling pain stab his chest as he says each word.

Tyler frowns tightly, staring directly at Jeremy. “But what about Matt?”

“Elena’s friend, he only ever talks to me because of Elena.”

“Caroline?”

“Same thing.” Jeremy inhales sharply, chest tightening into a small ball.

“Crackheads?”

“They only knew my name because I used to supply them, we were never friends.”

Tyler pauses, “That chick… Anna or something?”

Jeremy chuckles dryly, “She left town and I’m pretty sure she was only hanging out with me for this journal of my family’s.”

“Oh.” Tyler stares at his empty glass for over a minute and a half before stating:

“What if we were friends?”

That makes Jeremy freeze and go speechless as words float from his head, leaving with suitcases packed. He swallows and after a moment responds:

“You don’t want that.”

Tyler growls, “Yes I do, don’t tell me what I want Gilbert.”

Raising an eyebrow, Jeremy narrows his eyes, “You? Willing to ruin your status to hang out with a lowlife loner like me? Not to mention you hate me?” He snickers to himself, “Yeah sure.”

This only prompts Tyler to launch forward and snatch Jeremy’s shirt collar, gripping it as he glares.

“Don’t assume.”

Jeremy finds himself unable to speak, simply nodding as Tyler lets go. He feels his face burn from how close they just were. He isn’t sure why. 

The fuming male sighs, “Anyways, yes or no?”

“To us being friends?”

“Yes you idiot.”

Fiddling his thumbs, resisting a grin, he nods, “Okay, that sounds good.”


End file.
